Seattle Seahawks: 5 questions before the opener in Denver
By Matt Barry
#3 Who Will Rush The Passer?
The Seahawks pass rush took a hit with the departure of Michael Bennett. His eight sacks were second on the team to DE Frank Clark, and his eight tackles for loss were second only to Wagner. The Seahawks defense, under new coordinator Ken Norton Jr., will need to find others to pick up the slack. Additionally, they must use different schemes to generate pressure on the quarterback.
Clark is now the Seahawks most prolific pass rusher. He has 36 sacks in 46 NFL games since the Seahawks drafted him in 2015 (63rd overall). So he becomes the heir apparent to Bennett. It will be interesting to see how Clark handles the added attention from offensive linemen this year.
Former 2013 third overall pick (Miami Dolphins) Dion Jordan will be looked upon to fill some of Bennett’s void as well. Jordan has battled a shin injury that limited him to just five games last season. He did, however, register a sack in all but one of those games. If Jordan is healthy, he should provide some production from the other defensive end.
Another intriguing player is Shaquill Griffin’s brother Shaquem. Shaquem was recently announced as a defensive starter by Carroll. The former AAC Defensive Player of the Year at Central Florida and 2018 fifth-round pick (141st overall) will start at linebacker. Griffin had his left hand amputated at four years old and continues to persevere through his disability.